Water cooler



J. D. FRUEN WATER COOLER May 30, 1950 Filed July 21, 1947 JOHN DONALD FRUEN Patented May 30, 1959 ITED STATES :iPATENT OFFICE 3 Claims. 1 This invention relates to water coolers. It is one of the objects of the invention to "provide a noveland improved water cooler in- Corporating a mechanical refrigeration unit employing a volatile refrigerant as the cooling med um; the cooler being so constructed that the heat from the condensing coil of the refrigeration unit may be very readily dissipated.

A more specific object is to provide'in a Water cooler stand a flue constructionthroughwhicn air can readily circulate and means for supporting a refrigeration condensing 'coil in the flue so that the heat from the coil can be very rapidly carried ed.

The objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the various views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a viewin front elevation of a'water cooler embodyingthe invention, certain ofthe parts being broken away and these and other parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is avertical section taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially onthe line 3-3 ofFig. 1 as indicated bythe arrows;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the upper rear portion of the cooler with the water bottle removed;

Fig. 5 is a partial vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 as indicatedby the arrows,

"Fig. 5 being in enlarged scale; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but illustrating a slightly modified form of the device.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings,

there is provided a water cooler stand designated as an entirety by the letter A and adapted to rest as on a floor or the like. This stand includes a front panel 1, rear panel 8, side panels 9, and a cover In. The four panels and cover form an enclosure anda support for a water bottle 13, which is adapted to rest on a circular rubber gasket ll fitting around the upper edge 'of a cup [2 supported from the cover II] in the upper portion of thecooling stand. A cooling coil l3 surrounds the cup I2, the cup and coil being cased in a casing l4 supported from the cover Ill and having a branch running over and 'connected to the front panel I. An outlet pipe 15 communicates Withthe interior of the cup 12 and runs outwardly through the-branchof the casing l4 and extends through front panel 7 1 beyond which it is equipped with a valved spigot I5. An openingis cut in the front panel 1 below the spigot" Hi for access to the interior of the stand A, this opening being normally closed by an open-topped reservoir l1 adapted to catch overflow water from the spigot Hi. The reservoir I! may be connected by one or more hooks l8 tothe front panel 1.

The lower edgesof the variouspariels l, 8, and 9 are cut away or notched to form air inlets I9 permitting the passage of air into the interior of the enclosure formed by the stand. An Opening is formed in one ofthe panels, such as the rear panel 8, near its upper endto provide an air outlet 20 from the enclosureproduced by the stand. In the illustrated form the various panels forming the stand taper from "their lower ends upwardly, producing a stand generally of square truncated pyramid shape, although it will be ap- "preciated that stands of different shapes may be provided. The various panels forming the stand may be fabricated from several different pieces of sheet metal or fabricated from a single piece if desired.

A transverse supporting shelf 2l runs'across the lower portion of the stand, this shelf being provided with a number of openings 2la. therethrough to perlnit'the passage of air upwardly "from the'air inlets H] to points above the shelf. Supported on the shelf 2| is an electrically operated refrigeration unit C including a compressor, none of the details of which are shown inasmuch as any standard type of refrigeration unit can be employed.

Secureclto the inner sides of the front-and rear panels land 8 and disposed in p rallel rather "closely spaced relation respectively relative to the "side panels 9-are a pair of upwardly'extending panels 22 which run from immediatelyabove the shelf 2| to points adjacent but spaced from the top of the stand. These two panels divide the interior of the stand into a pair of flues 23 and a central chamber 24. The flues 23 as well as the chamber 24 are in free communication with the air inlets l9 through the openings 2 la in the shelf 2t and they are also in'free communication with the air outlet 20 formed at the upper part of the stand. The outer sides of the two panels 22 carry a number of cleat-like brackets 25 which support various convolutions of condensing coils 26so that these coils are located inthe flues 23 and-have contact bearing against the upwardly extending panels 22. After the coils *26---have-been m'ountedon the brackets 25, the

-' sion and recycling;

upper portions.

brackets, coils, and panels are sprayed with a metal spray of an aluminum, zinc, or other metal alloy indicated by the numeral 21, thereby giving the surfaces of these parts a roughened exterior and in fact welding the coils 26 to the panels 22 while materially increasing the air contact surface area of these parts. The sprayed metal also assists materially in promoting better conductivity of heat from coils 26 to panels 22.

From the refrigeration unit C a highly volatile refrigerant, after being compressed, issupplied to the upper end of one of the coils 25, the lefthand coil as illustrated, as by a conduit 28. An-

other conduit 29 runs from the lower end -of the left-hand coil 26 to the upper end of the righthand coil 26. The lower end of the'right-hand coil within which the refrigerant will be condensed in liquid form is connected by a short pipe 30 with a small capillary conduit 31 which runs upwardly and connects with the upper end 'of the refrigeration coil [3 surrounding the cup I2 first having oneor more turns partly encircling a turn or two of the refrigeration coil l3. Another larger conduit 32 runs from the lower end -of the refrigeration coil 13 back to the refrigeration unit C, returning the refrigerant in gaseous form to the compressor of the unit.

In operation the compressed gaseous refrigerant is supplied immediately after compression thereof through the conduit 28 to the left-hand condensing coil 26 and thence through the coiland thence through the conduit 29 to the right-hand condensing coil 26', whereupon the refrigerant,

having given up its heat, liquifies and flows through thesmall conduit 3| to, the refrigeration coil I3. In this coil the liquid refrigerant is reconverted togaseous state, absorbing the heat to the refrigeration unit Cfor further compres- Naturally the refrigerant, after compression and while it iscirculating through the two radiation condensingcoils 2.6,

is quite hot, thereby causing the air in the upper portions of the lines 23 to be heated, causing thisair to rise rapidly. Heat from the coil's26 is carried by conduction as well as-radiation to the upwardly-extending.panels .22 and is. also carriedby radiation to the side panels 9- of the stand. The air movement up through the flues23 has a scrubbing effect onthecoils26,brackets 25, and panels 22 and 9 torapidlycarryoif the heat from these partsand consequentlyfrom the condensing coils 26, causing the coils 'torapidly in. Of coursefresh cool air enters through the air inlets l9 and exhausts-through the-outlet20.

-'Ihe rapid movementof the air. through the flues sages. It eventually issues from the upper ends of the fines at accelerated velocity and hencea .Venturi action ispmduced which induces a flow The air enters the flues at the i panels 22 as illustratedin Figspl to of the drawings, it is possible to employ the structure shown in Fig. 6 wherein plane-faced upwardly -extending panels 33 are illustrated taking the place of the panels 22, and a coil 34 is shown as being mounted on brackets 35 carried by a side panel 36. With the construction shown in Fig. 6 the action is very similar to that previously -cool and-condense the. gaseous refrigeranttheremore rapid dissemination of heat.

panels 9 in the first described construction'will not heat up to the same extent as do the side panels 36 of the construction shown in Fig.6.

. the panel 33 may be eliminated, whereupon the In place of the construction shown in Fig. .6,

entire chamber formed by the stand acts as a flue to carry off the heat from the coils 34 mounted on panels 376. l r 3 -In some instances it may be desirable to spray both or either of, the inner and outer surfaces of the panels Land. 36, as the case may be, with a metal alloy such as a zinc or aluminum alloy to increase surface contact area and permit the It maybe desirable in some instances to employ a crackled paint finish on the exterior surfaces of the panels of the stand to increase surface contact area for the same purpose. I 1

It will be understood thatvarious changes may .be made int'he form, details, arrangement, and proportions of the parts without departure from the scope of the present invention; which generally stated consists in. the matter shown and described and set forth the appended claims.

-I claim: g

1. In a water cooling stand a casing forming an enclosure having an air inletat its lower portion and an air outlet at its upper portion, an upwardly extending panel spaced from one wall :of said casing to divide the interior of the casing said upwardly extendingpanel and the wall of the casing from which. it is spaced taperingupwardly from their'lower' ends togive'said flue a truncated wedge-shaped form for'increasing the rapidity of flow of air at the upper portion of the flue and assisting-in producing a flow of air through said mainchamb'er.

'2. In a water cooling stand a casing forming an enclosure of substantially truncated pyramid ..shape, said casing having an air inlet at its lower portion and an air outlet at its upper portion,-an

upwardly tapering, upwardly extending panel spaced inwardly from'one wall offsaid casing to divide the interior of the casing into. a main chamber and an upwardly tapering flue, said main chamber and flue communicating with each other above said panel and both having com.- munication attheir lo irerends with said air inlet and having -communication at their upper ends with said air outlet, and a refrigeration condensing coil mounted in said flue and through which a volatile refrigerant after compression is adapted to run to be condensed into liquid form through loss of heat.

3. In a water cooling stand a casing having a number of panels forming an enclosure of substantially truncated pyramid shape, said enclosure having an air inlet at its lower portion and an air outlet at its upper portion. a pair of upwardly extending panels respectively spaced from the casing panels to divide the interior of the casing into a main chamber and a pair of upwardly extending, upwardly tapering flues, the main chamber and said fiues being in communication above said upwardly extending panels and having communication at their lower ends with said air inlet and having communication at their upper ends with said air outlet. a refrigeration unit, mounted in the lower part of said main chamber, refrigerant condensing coils mounted in said fiues and through which a volatile refrigerant after compression by said refrigeration unit is adapted to run to be condensed into liquid,

form through loss of heat, the heat given oil? by. the condensing coils causing a flow of air upwardly through said flues, and the draft of air through said fiues producing a flow of air upwardly through said main chamber.

JOHN DONALD FRUEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

